1. 1 Genetic Improvement in Beef Cattle - What is Possible? Brian Wickham

2. 2 Would you like to search the world for the bull that can increase the profitability of your herd by the greatest amount?

3. 3 Would you like to compare the available: bulls, calves, feed-lot animals, for their ability to increase the profitability of: your herd, your feed-lot, your packing operation?

4. Would you like to know how your calves kill out after you have sold them? to know the performance of the progeny, males and females, of the breeding bulls you sell? to rank your cows on the contribution they make to the profitability of your cow-calf operation? 4

5. Would you like to remove duplication in data recording? to have access to feed-lot and packer data on animals that resulted from the bulls you bred? to have all the data for your herd readily available to you? 5

6. 6 Would you like genomic research based on one million beef animals genotyped using 50K SNP chip @ $32 per animal as part of a $440 million (tax payer funded) three year project to reduce the environmental impact of beef production?

7. 7 It is possible and it is happening now: but not in Canada.

8. Canadian Beef Improvement Network (CBIN) 8

9. 9 Is CBIN needed? Yes  Genetic improvement is complex, powerful, cumulative & permanent  National Beef strategy: production efficiency +15%, competitiveness +7%, carcass value +15%, by 2020  60,000 farmers, 100+ organizations  Long complex supply chain  New technologies: genomics, information …  Global warming  Consumer demands

10. 10 Is CBIN feasible? Yes  E.g. Canadian Dairy Network (CDN)  E.g. Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF)  Have many of the elements already  Time is right  Large return on investment

11. Return on investment CDN – Canadian Dairy Network Dairy $472m/year at cost of $2.5m/year ICBF – Irish Cattle Breeding Federation Dairy $1,100m over 15 years at cost of $73m. Canadian beef study $180m/year at cost of $5m/year 11

12. 12 Strategy for CBIN Recommendations: 1.Structure 2.Continuous improvement 3.Genetic gain 4.Information infrastructure 5.Communications 6.Innovation 12

13. 13 Structure Partnership between farmers, Government, industry and service providers. Lean, very competent and focused on Canadian beef cattle genetic improvement. Start with interim arrangement and continuously improve. 13

14. CBIN … optimal genetic improvement of the Canadian beef herd.

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16. CBIN Funding Government (Federal & Provincial)  For long term benefits to wider community and future people & organisations Farmer & Industry  For generic benefits to farmers and industry Service Fees  For immediately useful information services  From cost savings and or improved information services

17. 17 ICBF Funding http://www.icbf.com/publications/files/ICBF_2014_ANNUAL_REPORT.pdfhttp://www.icbf.com/publications/files/ICBF_2014_ANNUAL_REPORT.pdf page12.

18. Continuous improvement Identify, prioritize, research, test Consultation meetings Implement 18 Annually

19. CBIN - Genetic Improvement Genetic evaluations a. breeding objectives => $ indexes b. data: national and international, seed-stock, cow-calf, feed-lot and packers c. genomics d. tools e. communication Breeding scheme to optimize economic returns for whole industry

20. 20 CBIN – Information Infrastructure Scope  genetic improvement as initial focus  farm management, quality assurance, disease & welfare Integrate with Canadian livestock tracking system  avoid duplication  participation of cow-calf herds, feed-lots, packers

21. 21 CBIN – Information Infrastructure Access & Ownership  Animal owner controls access to data  Agree data can be used for genetic evaluation and related research & instruct data holders to provide data to CBIN  Agreement with Service Providers on data access and fees  Improve scope & quality of Breed Assn services

22. 22 Data recording and validation  Capture at source, validate and add to CBIN database immediately  Capture each event once and ensure data is available to all authorized to use it  Standard data recording protocols to meet needs of all data users  No financial obstacles to data recording  Monitor & investigate deviations from norms CBIN – Information Infrastructure

23. 23 CBIN – Information Infrastructure Information to improve decisions made by:  Seed-stock farmers  Cow-calf farmers  Feed-lot operators  Breed Associations  Service providers: advisors, veterinarians, …

24. 24 CBIN – Information Infrastructure Technology infrastructure  Existing capability: BIXS, BIO, CCIA, Breed Assns  Integrated database needs to be established  Options to build on existing capability need to be thoroughly explored

25. 25 © ConsultWickham 2015 Ireland went from this: Milk Recording Database Artificial Insem. Herd Books DAFF Calf Reg. & Movements Laboratories Marts Meat Factories Veterinarians Advisors Discussion Groups Beef & Dairy Herds Genetic Evaluations Database Data InformationServices Key:

26. 26 © ConsultWickham 2015 to this: Data InformationServices Key: Milk Recording ICBF Database Artificial Insem. Herd Books DAFF Calf Reg. & Movements Laboratories Marts Meat Factories Veterinarians Advisors Discussion Groups Beef Herds Dairy Herds Beef Herds Dairy Herds Beef & Dairy Herds Animal Events HerdPlus ® Genetic Evaluations

27. Any Bull that was ever in your herd and which was registered as the sire of a calf in the ICBF database over the last 5 years will appear in this report.

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30. 30 Page 152 – top left corner

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33. CBIN - Communication Weekly update Consultation meetings Single phone number to get answers Field-days Research and demonstration Conferences 33

34. CBIN - Innovation CBIN provides data and implements results CBIN has special relationships with Canadian research, education and extension organizations involved in beef breeding Canadian Dairy Network to share knowledge and tools International forums – ICAR, BIF, WCGALP, ISAG, ASAS, and EAAP … 34

35. 35 Challenges, Threats & Weaknesses Non-participation of key stakeholders Economic downturn Rapid technology developments Previous efforts failed Starting from scratch 35

36. 36 Challenges, Threats, & Weaknesses Decision making Funding Information infrastructure Genetic evaluations Genetic gain in commercial population 36

37. Conclusions Imperative for Canada to establish a world- class beef cattle breeding infrastructure Many of the elements already exist Focus must be on genetic improvement of the Canadian beef herd Major economic rewards are achievable with a successful CBIN 37